Brussels, 17/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - On the sidelines of the Brisbane summit, on Sunday 16 November, the leaders of the EU and the European countries which are members of the G20 made a joint statement with the American President, Barack Obama, confirming their commitment to “ambitious” transatlantic free-trade negotiations, “in a spirit of mutual benefit and leading to a high standard TTIP”.
“We remain committed, as we were when we launched these negotiations in June 2013, to build upon the strong foundation of our six decades of economic partnership to promote stronger, sustainable and balanced growth, to support the creation of more jobs on both sides of the Atlantic and to increase our international competitiveness”, read the declaration, which was signed on behalf of the European side by the Presidents Herman Van Rompuy (European Council) and Jean-Claude Juncker (Commission), the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, the French President, François Hollande, the Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, and the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy. This agreement, which is of “strategic importance”, was described as “an opportunity to promote the principles and values that we, as citizens of open economies and societies, share and cherish, including transparency and joint approaches to global trade challenges”, they stressed, adding that they had directed their negotiators “to make all possible progress over the coming year”.
No lowering of standards. “This (meeting) is an opportunity for us to make clear that we will not sacrifice Europe's food safety, environmental health standards or our cultural diversity on the altar of free trade; and we are committed to injecting greater transparency into our negotiations”, President Juncker commented. Contact between the new Trade Commissioner, Cecilia Malmstrom, and the American Trade Representative, Mike Froman, has been scheduled for December. No date has been set for the eighth session of technical talks, which will be held in Brussels, but it is expected to take place very early next year. (EH)